Railway-signal.



No. 705,313. 4 Patented luly'22, I902.

w. s. BENNETT.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

(Application filed Apr. 2, 1902,) (No Model.) 3 Sheets8heet WITNESSES:

- JINVENTOR; I Mm.

' By his Attorney No. 705,3l3q Patehted m 22, I902.

w. s. BENNETT.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

(Application filed Apr. 2, 1909.) Modem 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

III/III}!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA Z INVENTOR:

fi cu wbs W By his A far/1c y No. 705,3l3. Patented July 22, I902.

W. S. BENNETT.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

(Application filed Apr. 2, 1902.) (No Modl.) 3 ShaBts Sheet 3.

2 By /zz's Alzomey is Q S WITNESSES U414 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. BENNETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY-SIG NAL.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent No. 705,313, dated July 22, 1902. Application filed April 2, 1902. Serial No. l01,124. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have made a new and useful Invention in Railway-Signals,of which the following is a specification.

My invention is directed particularly toimprovements in railway signals designed to give to an engineer or motorman on board of amoving train or car a signal indicating danger at some point in advance and in which the signal is operated through the agency of means located either in the road-bed or attached to one of the rails, and will be fully understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in whicl1+ Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a locomotiveand a line of rails with myimprovement applied thereto. Figs. 2, 3,. and 4 are enlarged views of the signal releasing or operating apparatus, Fig. 2 being a sectional view taken on the lineX X, Fig. 3, and as seen looking thereat from right to left in the direction of the arrows,and Fig. 3 a similar sectional view taken on the broken lineYY, Fig. 2,and as seen looking thereat from left to right in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view as seen looking at Fig. 3 from the bottom toward thetop of the drawings in the direction of the arrow, the means of supporting this part of the apparatus, however, not being shown in this figure. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken through Fig. 6 on the line Z Z and asjseen looking thereat from left to right in the direction of the arrows, the interior mechanism of the signal-box and visual signal being shown in full lines, the latter in concealed position and in dotted lines in exposed position, an alarm bell or signal and its associated operating mechanism being also shown in elevational View in this figure of the drawings. Fig. 6 is a side elevational view as seen looking at Fig. 5 from right to left, one part of the signal-bell being broken away for the purpose. of illustrating the operation of the working parts thereof. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of the preferred modified form of the corresponding parts of the invention. Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the operative parts of the releasing mechanism carried by the pilot,

atfrom right to left, Fig. 9 is a plan view of the modified form of the clip which is secured to the track. I

My invention contemplates the placing upon the track or securing to the rails thereof an obstruction in the nature of a signalactuating clip, which will act mechanically upon releasing mechanism carried bya locomotive or car and in such manner that when this result is effected an engineer or motorman will receive in the cab or elsewhere 011 the moving locomotive, car, or train a positive warning of the fact that there is danger in advance. My novel mechanism is designed. to take the place of what is known in the art as explosive torpedoes/ which have heretofore been placed upon the rails of railwaytracks and exploded by the wheels thereof as the locomotive or cars pass thereover. Such means of giving warning to engineers or motormen, however, are known not to be absolutely certain in their operation, and it was with a View of supplying a positive and certain warning to an engineer or motorman that my invention was devised.

Referring now to the drawings in detail for a full and clear understanding of my invention such'as will enable others skilled in the art to construct and use the same, L represents alocomotive supposed to be moving from left to rightover the usual rails R, and T represents a metal or other tube secured at one end in a lateral extension M of the pilot P and extending backwardto'the cab of the engineer, where its free end is secured beneath a signal-box B, said tube T being designed to protect, cover, or conceal a strong chain,wire, or cord J,-(see Fig. 3,) one end of which is connected directly to a releasing device, here shown as a disk or plate D, pivotally attached at F to a screw-threaded sleeve E, adapted to be adj ustably secured within the screwthreaded end of the tub'e'T, H being a setnut for firmly securing the parts together after they are once adjusted. Theopposite end of the chain or cord J is secured directly to an adjustable screw-hook N, which in turn is attached to a turnbuckle O, pivotally secured to a rod Q, provided with a detachable head 00, .9 being a strong spiral spring adapted to maintain the rod Q and head 00 in their upper position by pressure against the inner surface of the signal-box B, the arrangement being such that when the parts are all securely adjusted the chain or cord J will be under tension and will hold the disk D securely against the lower end of the sleeve E in such manner as to eifectually close the end of the tube against the admission of dirt or dust.

I is a friction-roller, secured to the free or movable end of thepivoted disk D.

A is a signal-actuating clip made, preferably, of tin or light sheet metal, having extensions or arms C C. adapted to be gripped or secured to the head of the rail R, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and In the upper or cup portion of this clip is secured a mass of lead or other soft metal L, adapted to give to it substantial weight and stability, so that it will perform the function for which it is designed, as will be described in connection with the description of the mode of operation.

S is a drop-signal pivotally secured in the box Bin a concealed position and held in said position by the short arm of a lever V acting against a lug z.

t is a leaf-spring adapted to move the signal into exposed position when released.

B is a signal-bell secured to one side of the signal-box B, and K is a clapper therefor, said clapper being provided with an operating-spring s".

s is an additional operating-spring operatively connected with a pivoted dog 71, secured to an arm of the pivoted lever N, the free end of which is located in the path of the long arm of the lever V.

The operation is as follows: Suppose it is desired to give an engineer warning of the fact that there is danger in advance. One of the signal-actuating clips A is secured by a track-walker, brakeman, fiagman, or other person authorized to stop a train directly to the rail R by means of the extensions or arms 0 G in the same manner as explosive torpedoes are usually secured to the track. As the train advances, therefore, (see Fig. 1,) the friction-roller I comes into mechanical contact with the signal-actuating clip A, thereby causing the disk D to turn about its pivot F and place the chain or cord J under stress, thus imparting to the rod Q. in the signal-box a downward movement against the spring 3 to a suliicient extent to release the drop-signal S, which is at once exposed to view. At the same time the arm V actuates the lever N and causes the dog 2', carried by the arm W, to place the spring 3 understress, the lower end of the dogi coming into mechanical contact with the upper surface of the clapper K, placing the spring .9 under stress. As the locomotive advances, therefore, the disk D is turned to its extreme rear position. Consequently the drop-signal S is released and exposed to view, and after the disk 1) is carried beyond the signal-actuating clip A it is released, thereby allowing the strong spring 5 to restore the rod Q to its upper normal position, at the same time permitting the spring 5 to restore the lever N to its normal position and the spring 8 to give to the clapper K a forward stroke, thereby causing the bell B to give an audible indication of the fact that there is danger ahead. As the locomotive advances, therefore, the front wheel passes over the signal-actuating clip A; but the soft metal L in said clip permits the same to be crushed by the wheels without damage, so that by the time the entire train is passed it is absolutely destroyed. Track-walkers, brakemen, flagmen, and other authorized persons are of course provided with a supply of such clips, which may be placed upon the track when it is desired to give a warning to an engineer upon any advancing train.

In Figs. 7, 8, and 9 I have shown a modified form of the releasing apparatus carried by the pilot and of the signal-actuating clip secured to the rail. P represents the pilot, as before, and 'l the tube which conceals the releasing chain or cord J. D is the disk to which the cord is secured. In, this modified form of the invention the disk D is pivotally attached to an operating-lever 1 at d which in turn is pivoted upon a shaft t" to a pair of metallic arms G G, firmly secured by bolts g 7 to lugs or extensions g g at the opposite sides of the screw-threaded sleeve E. I is' 'a friction-roller, as before, carried at the free ends of two arms I I, constituting an extension of the lever 1 A represents the signalactuating clip, which in this instance is provided at its opposite sides with inclined surfaces a a, the metallic extensions or arms 0 being, as before, adapted to secure the clip directly to the rail R. The operation of this modified form is as follows: Suppose the 10- comotive to be traveling from left to right. WVhen the friction-roller I reaches the inclined surface a of the signal-actuating clip A, it rides over the same, causing the arms I and lever I to turn about their pivot-shaft 1L, and hence the disk D to descend, and with it the cord J, operating the signal S and bell B in the signal-box B, as before.

I do not limit my invention to the specific details of construction herein shown and described, nor do I limit its application and use to steam propelled trains, as obviously it may be applied in connection with electrically-propelled trains, the arrangement of the apparatus being modified to adapt it to its application and use for such cars or trains; nor do I limit my invention to its application as a mechanically-actuated signal, it being obvious that the improved detachable clip and releasing device hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, may be utilized in connection with an electrical signal carried by a locomotive or car, and my claims .in so far as this feature is concerned are designed to cover all such uses.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. A signal-actuating clip constructed of thin sheet metal and a mass of soft metal inclosed thereby, said clip having extensions or arms for securingit to a railway-rail, substantially as described.

2. A signal-actuating clip constructed of thin sheet metal and a mass of soft metal inclosed thereby; said clip having extensions or arms for securing it to a railway-rail and in clined surfaces at its opposite sides, substantially as described.

3. A signal located in the cab of a locomotive; in combination with a flexible connection extending to the pilot of the locomotive and operatively connected with a releasing device carried by said pilot; together with a signal-actuatin g clip constructed of thin sheet metal, inclosing a mass of soft'metal and provided with extensions=or arms which secure it to the track in the path of the releasing device, all of said parts acting substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. A signal located on a locomotive or car; a flexible connection between the signal, and a pivoted releasing device located beneath the locomotive or car; a protecting-tube which surrounds the flexible connection; in combination with a stationary releasing device located in or near the road-bed and in the path of the pivoted releasing device;

5. A signal located in the cab of a locomotive; a flexible connection, as a chainor cord extending from the signal to a point beneath the locomotive; a tube which surrounds and protects the flexible connection; apivoted releasing device attached to the flexible connection, said pivoted releasing device being adjustable with relation to the signal so as to vary the tension of the flexible connection; in combination with a clip adapted to be attached to one of the rails, said clip being located in the path of the releasing device, substantially as described.

6. A signal located in the cab of a locomotive; a flexible connection extending from the signal to a point beneath the locomotive; a tube which surrounds and protects said flexible connection; a pivoted releasing device provided with adjustable means operatively attached to said flexible connection; in combination with a signal-actuating clip secured to the track and located in the path of the releasing device, substantially as described.

7. A signal located in the cab of a locomotive; a flexible connection extending from the signal to a point beneath the locomotive; a tube which surrounds said flexible connection; a pivoted operating device operatively connected to said flexible connection and means carried by the pivoted operating device for normally closing theend of the tube, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM S. BENNETT. Witnesses:

O. J. KINTNER, J. F. SKERRETT. 

